Whats so special about the Far Realm?

[Hussar]

Marking might have different effects (use this with caution; constantly nerfing defenders is bad, m'kay?) - some far realm creatures react differently than others to perceived threats. One might respect the first to mark it, and pursue only that character for the rest of the combat, because it has been challenged and must answer. If it kills that character, it might leave, feeling it's done with the fight - anything that didn't mark it is not a true enemy. Another might not notice the mark at all. Creatures might choose targets based on height, race, gender, charisma, metal content, or who is carrying the light source.

Ooo, I like this one. A spice best used sparingly, but, still really, really cool.

And, different marks might affect the creatures differently too. A Starlock's curse should have a different reaction from a Paladin's challenge.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And, different marks might affect the creatures differently too. A Starlock's curse should have a different reaction from a Paladin's challenge.

Not that I want D&D to continue down the 4Ed path, but if it does, I think that THAT is a capital idea!

Each class' mark should have at least some kind of minor but measurable mechanical effect the round it is laid down. Flavor and mechanics working in harmony to amplify and reinforce each other.

Although in order to keep the game from bogging down, it would only happen the first time the mark is delivered in a given encounter...and never to the same foe twice. (IOW, if Baron Von Badenstein escapes to fight another day, the next time you encounter him, he will be unaffected by the "rider" effects of your party's marks.)

 

[I'm A Banana]

Whats so special about the Far Realm?

IT'S WHERE BABIES COME FROM
​

(apologies to Davd Lynch)​

 

[Hussar]

Not that I want D&D to continue down the 4Ed path, but if it does, I think that THAT is a capital idea!

Each class' mark should have at least some kind of minor but measurable mechanical effect the round it is laid down. Flavor and mechanics working in harmony to amplify and reinforce each other.

Although in order to keep the game from bogging down, it would only happen the first time the mark is delivered in a given encounter...and never to the same foe twice. (IOW, if Baron Von Badenstein escapes to fight another day, the next time you encounter him, he will be unaffected by the "rider" effects of your party's marks.)

Well, to be fair, you don't really need rider effects to make each type of marking have the baddy react differently. For example, a warlocks curse doesn't actually force the target to do anything, but, it grants the warlock extra bennies when the victim dies. OTOH, a paladin's mark actually hurts you if you don't attack the paladin, so, that's going to have a pretty serious effect on the target's behaviour.

I was more thinking that the marks could have something of an unpredictable effect on Far Realms beasties, in keeping with the nature of the baddy.

I'm not sure if I'd want to apply it to all encounters. Bit too much work.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, to be fair, you don't really need rider effects to make each type of marking have the baddy react differently.

Currently playing a Starlock...my mark doesn't affect the target except by making it hurt. Some- not all- other classes' marks actually change target behavior. Hussar, your idea opens the door to ALL marks having an immediate- if temporary- effect on target behavior.

I think that's a good thing.

 

[garrowolf]

The way I do horror type things like Cthulhu Mythos and Far Realms is that they are very destructive to their own environment that they tend to use up resources so they need to move on. Once they get to a new place they need to convert the environment to something more chaos based because our reality as it normally is is painful to them. They start adding anchors and stuff and changing the world around them until they feel comfortable and then they use up those resources.

One other thing I do is have a set of demons that used to work for them that are refugees that are fleeing from their old masters. Unfortunately they can only go in places that have some connection to chaos as well. So they end up on the front lines running from realm to realm just ahead of the main force of demons with only months to a year in each place.

 

[Leatherhead]

Nope, I don't have any motivations for them. In fact, I prefer it that way.

The appeal of Lovecraftian far realm beings is in no small part due to the fact that they haven't been popularly humanized, unlike nearly every other malevolent entity in fiction. You know; Vampires, werecreatures, fey, devils and even demons have been given "motivations" and "tragic backstories" which has caused them to largely became less and less monsters, and more and more super powered humans. About the only other monster that still remains monstrous are zombies, and those are just mindless eating machines.

Every degree of separation is imperative to maintain the distance between humanity and monstrosity. Simply going with "You can't understand their motivations" may seem a cheap way out, but any explanation would deaden the unnaturalness and alien feel of them.

 

[knightofround]

Personally I like to play up the "absorbtion" aspect of the far realm. Its inhabitants are collectors; be it of flesh, of magics, of emotions, of faiths, of memories, of sensations, of technology, of diseases, of souls, of virgin blonde princesses, of square-shaped-rocks...the list can go on depending upon how alien you want it to be.

That abberant isnt trying to eat you. Hes mearly trying to speak with you via his digestive organs.

 

[Hungry Like The Wolf]

I haven't read the thread so this might have come up already...

I tend to think of the far realm as something that feeds off of life to survive. Some mindflayers might be totally reliant on thralls as they their hedonistic lifestyle has erased all independence from their culture. Some might need minds, creativity or emotions to feed off of etc

It seems to me most far realm powers need one planet or another's life to sustain their own. They don't really destroy life like demons but more suck it dry and move on.

 

[Ultimatecalibur]

I think two ideas have gotten crossed over the years.

Far Realms - These are places with completely different rules for physics, chemistry and geometry. The "normal" rules are different here. Some examples of what you can do to get the feel of this:

• Movement works differently - In a 4e game use 3.X distance measurements (horizontal movement 1 square and diagonal movement is 1.5 squares), in 3.X use 4e's (1 square is 1 square). You can do other things as well, such as having horizontal movement count as 1.5 squares and diagonal movement count as 1, or every 3rd square counts double.
• Ranges work differently - They could follow the same rules as movement or use a different set.
• Perspective works differently - A creatures effective size category and reach could be determined by how far apart 2 creatures are or based on the perspective of a 3rd party.
• Area of Effects work differently - Use different rules for deciding with is in the AoE. Bursts use 3.X rules in 4e and 4e rules in 3rd. Cones(3.X) are Blasts(4e) and Blasts(4e) are Cones(3.X). Lines(3.X) shift left or right 45 degrees every X number of squares and effectively become circles.
• Use creatures that don't follow the normal movement or positioning "rules" - The Displacer Beast is a perfect example of a "Far Realms" creature; it may look like its in one place but it is actually somewhere else. Blink dogs are another good creature for this if you have their "blinking" be a funky way of moving, possibly like how a knight does in chess.

Aberrations - Aberrations are biology gone wild and/or different. They are animals that grow, develop and act like plants. They are insects with endoskeletons. Mindflayers are humanoids with a parasite that turns their heads in to a squid. Aboleths are highly evolved fish with tentacles instead of fins. When you describe an aberration you so get quizzical looks that ask, "How did that thing even evolve?"